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Actual vs. Potential: What's the Difference?

Actual and Potential Definitions

Actual

Relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical

Potential

Capable of being but not yet in existence; latent or undeveloped
A potential problem.
A substance with many potential uses.

Actual

Existing in reality, not just potentially; really acted or acting; occurring in fact.
The actual cost of goods;
The actual case under discussion
The actual government expenses dramatically exceed the budget.

Potential

(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a verbal construction with auxiliaries such as may or can; for example, it may snow.

Actual

In action at the time being; now existing; current.
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Potential

The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or future success
An investment with a lot of potential.
A singer who has the potential to become a major star.

Actual

Used as intensifier to emphasise a following noun; exact, specific, very.

Potential

The possibility that something might happen or result from given conditions
A tense situation with the potential to turn into a riot.
Farming practices that increase the potential for the erosion of topsoil.

Actual

An actual, real one; notably:

Potential

See electric potential.
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Actual

(finance) something actually received; real receipts, as distinct from estimated ones.

Potential

See gravitational potential.

Actual

(military) a radio callsign modifier that specifies the commanding officer of the unit or asset denoted by the remainder of the callsign and not the officer's assistant or other designee.
Bravo Six Actual, this is Charlie One. Come in, over. (The radio operator is requesting to speak to the commander of the unit under the call sign "Bravo Six", as opposed to any available member of the unit.)

Potential

See magnetic potential.

Actual

(uncountable) Reality, usually with the definite article.
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Potential

(Grammar) A potential verb form.

Actual

Involving or comprising action; active.
Her walking and other actual performances.
Let your holy and pious intention be actual; that is . . . by a special prayer or action, . . . given to God.

Potential

Currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to)
Even from a young age it was clear that she had the potential to become a great musician.

Actual

Existing in act or reality; really acted or acting; in fact; real; - opposed to potential, possible, virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, or nominal; as, the actual cost of goods; the actual case under discussion.

Potential

(physics) The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field.

Actual

In action at the time being; now exiting; present; as the actual situation of the country.

Potential

(physics) The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field.

Actual

Something actually received; real, as distinct from estimated, receipts.
The accounts of revenues supplied . . . were not real receipts: not, in financial language, "actuals," but only Egyptian budget estimates.

Potential

(grammar) A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable.

Actual

Presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible;
The predicted temperature and the actual temperature were markedly different
Actual and imagined conditions

Potential

Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

Actual

Taking place in reality; not pretended or imitated;
We saw the actual wedding on television
Filmed the actual beating

Potential

(archaic) Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result

Actual

Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something;
Her actual motive
A literal solitude like a desert
A genuine dilemma

Potential

(physics) A potential field is an irrotational (static) field.

Actual

Of the nature of fact; having actual existence;
Rocks and trees...the actual world
Actual heroism
The actual things that produced the emotion you experienced

Potential

(physics) A potential flow is an irrotational flow.

Actual

Existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not;
De facto segregation is as real as segration imposed by law
A de facto state of war

Potential

(grammar) Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable.

Actual

Being or existing at the present moment;
The ship's actual position is 22 miles due south of Key West

Potential

Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential.

Potential

Existing in possibility, not in actuality.
Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is.

Potential

Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially.

Potential

In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the coördinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; - also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center.

Potential

The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force.

Potential

The inherent capacity for coming into being

Potential

The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts

Potential

Existing in possibility;
A potential problem
Possible uses of nuclear power

Potential

Expected to become or be; in prospect;
Potential clients
Expected income

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